Early Monday morning we saw the end of Eorzea's most recent world event, Lightning Strikes, starring the heroine of SE's Final Fantasy XIII and the upcoming title, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. It's been over three weeks since players first encountered the pink-haired adventurer roaming Eorzea. We've fought at her side and received our rewards, but now she's left our land for further adventurers (or till the North American release of her game in February). Looking back on the event as a whole, how did it stack up to the other FFXIV world events or to those in other MMOs?

What Exactly Did Lightning Strike?

For those of you who may have missed the event or only completed part of it, I'll give you the basic rundown of how Lightning's Eorzea vacation went. Chapter 1 started with players in Limsa Lominsa being asked to investigate rumors of a mysterious warrior maiden roaming the countryside, wearing strange garb and fighting off monsters with an almost Garlean sword/firearm. Once you've found Lightning in either Middle or Western La Noscea and fought alongside her, she vanishes, leaving only two parcels as evidence she was ever there. You return to the quest-giving journalist who gives you the contents of the package you brought back, a pair of gloves unlike any garb you've seen. In addition, you'll have one more of the same mysterious package you can trade to the journalist's companion for an additional reward of a weapon. In Chapter 2 another journalist, this time from Ul'Dah, wants a piece of this Lightning news frenzy and asks you to look for her in Eastern and Southern Thanalan. This time you encounter her as she's fighting a giant armored behemoth. After the beast has been felled, Lightning is surprised she hasn't vanished like before, but soon walks away leaving only another parcel as proof. When this is returned to the Ul'Dah journalist, she presents you with the contents, a pair of leggings.

Chapter 3 goes about how you would expect at this point, with another journalist over in Gridania to complete the set. She directs you to Coerthas to track down Lightning once more. In the snowy land outside of Whitebrim, you find her as she's battling a large Magitek-like machine. With the machine destroyed, Lightning talks about being tested by an insane god and being prepared for some future battle. She departs as before, leaving another package containing shoes to match the previous garments. Once you've returned to the journalist though, you'll run into Lightning inside Gridania where she'll talk about all of the places and people she's seen and how her sister and friends back home would love it here. She then talks more about fate and being a weapon for that god, then leaves once more.

The fourth and final chapter of Lightning Strikes starts with the same Gridanian reporter. After you left she was able to track Lightning down for an in-person interview and even received some Miqo'te clothing as a gift before she left. She tells you that Lightning is now down in Mor Dhona fighting an army of beasts and asks for your help. You encounter Lightning in the midst of a battle against a horde of Anubys swarming around her. Defeating these is only the beginning though as a new, more dangerous foe appears soon after: a giant creature calling itself the Aspect of Chaos. Lightning summons her version of Odin to her side, then charges into battle against the Aspect. Once the Aspect has been defeated, Lightning leaves again with another package as the only proof of her visit. Bringing this back to the reporter rewards you with the chest clothing to match your other rewards, but soon after you're surprised by Lightning coming up and speaking with both you and the reporter. She talks about enjoying her time in Eorzea and her admiration for the adventurer's freedom to choose their own battles. She warns whatever gods are listening that they will regret sending her to Eorzea to become stronger. As if taunted by her statement, Lightning rises into the air and vanishes in a cloud of glowing feathers, bringing the Lightning Strikes event to a close. Well, other than farming for the remaining weapons.